Where The Heart Is
by HaloNoir
Summary: Beth and Daryl are reunited, at last. Short and sweet.


Daryl had been dreaming about what things would be like when they, when he found Beth again. He hadn't let himself hope, for the longest time, but Rick had tried to buoy him up, telling him there was always hope. But it was after Maggie came to see him that he let himself breath and take faith.

Maggie had settled herself down quietly beside Daryl while he kept the midnight watch. They had found a small cabin on the edge of the forest where they were hunkering down for the night, sleeping in shifts. She didn't speak for a long time, an hour perhaps. Just looked thoughtfully down at some ratty hair-tie that she was threading between her long fingers. Fingers like her sister had. Daryl kept his eyes locked on the treeline. But finally Maggie's voice had crackled through the dark.

"I know you did right by her, Daryl. I know you did everything you could. And I know," she turned those fierce eyes on him, "that you won't ever stop looking for her. And that's good enough for me." She had stood up before Daryl could find any words, if there were any. She wrapped those fingers around his shoulder and squeezed, somehow lifting a little of the burden from it, before she faded back into the camp.

And now, after almost two weeks of searching, of nothingness: there she was in the clearing. She had dropped out of the trees in front of him, like some wild thing. Her teeth bared, scratches and bruises all over her but landing in a perfect defensive position. Then her blue eyes registered it was him at the front of the search party and the blade slipped from her fingers with a soft "oh."

The reunion itself was perfect in a way he couldn't have planned. She had escaped, made good on all that training he'd put her through, toughened herself against the world. But when her name slipped from his lips, the mask shattered, and she was sprinting towards him, weapons falling by the wayside. And for the first time, Daryl waited with open arms for someone.

She hit him with more force than you'd have thought, for a skinny little thing. But it wasn't the weight of her that made his knees buckled, that left them kneeling the first fall of autumn's leaves. Her nails were sinking into the leather of his jacket and into the skin of his neck, but he didn't feel them like he felt the tears rolling off of her face and onto his. And most of all he felt her lips moving against his jaw, whispering his name over and over, like a prayer.

The moment somehow stretched forever and was over in a second, Maggie slamming into the two of them, arms wrapped around the small pile, weeping all the while. And, weirdly, Daryl found he didn't mind. Maybe this, he thought, was what family meant.

Then others were clapping them on the shoulders, getting their own piece of Beth. And Daryl didn't begrudge them. Just sat there on his haunches and watched that shining girl merge right back where she belonged. Judith gurgled fantastically when she saw the only mother she'd ever known. Rick's own face nearly split with either relief or joy. The older man tugged on the end of Beth's ponytail affectionately before sending her back to Daryl.

Beth offered him a hand and yanked him to his feet with a strength she hadn't had a month ago. He smiled at her shyly. In all his hopes and dreams, this was as far as he'd ever gotten. Hadn't dared to get further. And there she was, his brilliant girl standing in front of him, head cocked and eyes narrowed. A smile spread over her face.

"I'll bet you missed me, when I was gone, Daryl Dixon." Even as sweet as her voice was, Daryl could head the hoarseness underneath and could see the purple smudges under her eyes. But she was Beth and she was in one piece somehow still radiated light, and what more could he wish for? He reached a hand up to brush the hair from her face, dropping it quickly after.

"Yes, ma'am." He muttered, embarrassed. But Beth didn't let go of his hand, just laced her fingers through his. The group picked up their bags and weapons; their survivor bearings slipping back into place.

"Wanna take me home?" Beth asked.

"We're still looking for one." He said. But Beth just smiled, looking around at the faces as they passed them by. She squeezed his hand.

"I'm not."


End file.
